Pandorabot AIML2 icon Pandorabot AIML2 — Connect ARC to Pandorabots AIML2 to run AI-driven virtual personalities for human-like text or voice chat, using API keys and script hooks. Try it →
Korea
Asked
Sound Servo EZB not reacting on Roomba IoTiny

Sound Servo EZB Not Reacting On Roomba Iotiny

Skip to comments Jump to end

I’m building a talking Roomba (650) and hit a wall with Sound servo (EZB). Hardware: Roomba base, Synthiam ARC on Windows, EZ-Robot IoTiny on the deck, micro servo on D0 (powered by a 6V BEC with common ground to the IoTiny), and the iRobot Roomba Movement Panel is driving the base great. I can manually move the mouth servo with a servo control and via EZ-Script, so wiring/power seems fine.

The goal is lip-sync while ARC speaks. I added the Sound servo (EZB) skill, set Board 0 -> D0, Min=40, Max=120, Scalar tried from 0.5 to 4.0. The Level Value never moves off 0. I tried ARC’s Speech Synthesis (Say), and also played WAVs using Soundboard PC-servo stays still and the Level Value is flat. I even toggled the "stream audio to EZ-B" option in the Connection control, but it didn’t change anything.

I’m starting to suspect this is because I’m using an IoTiny, which I believe doesn’t support audio streaming/output like an EZ-B v4 does. If that’s the case, is Sound servo (EZB) simply incompatible with IoTiny and I should switch to the Sound servo (PC) skill to drive D0 from the PC audio, or is there a way to pipe ARC/PC TTS audio into what Sound servo (EZB) listens to on an IoTiny setup?


Related Hardware (view all EZB hardware)
Roomba
Roomba by iRobot
Convert iRobot Roomba into a smart, fully featured personal robot with the EZ-Robot Complete Kit-movement control and Roomba manual included.
Controller Dependant
Servos ✕
Camera
Audio
UART ✕
I2C
ADC ✕
Digital ✕

Related Robot Skills (view all robot skills)
Thumbnail
Sound Servo (PC Speaker) by Synthiam
Maps PC audio volume to servos in real time with scalar, min/max, invert & multi-servo options-ideal for syncing robot mouth to sound
Requires ARC
Audio
Thumbnail
Sound Servo (EZB) by Synthiam
Map EZ-B audio volume to servos; multi-servo mirroring, scalar range control, invert/min-max, waveform feedback to sync mouth motion.
Requires ARC
Audio
Jump to end

ARC Pro

Upgrade to ARC Pro

Unleash your robot's full potential with the cutting-edge features and intuitive programming offered by Synthiam ARC Pro.

Author Avatar
PRO
Canada
Twitter YouTube GitHub
#1  

Yes - your suspicion is likely correct.

What’s happening

The Sound servo (EZB) skill listens to audio being played through the EZ-B’s audio output. If the IoTiny isn’t actually outputting audio, then the Level Value will stay at 0, which is exactly what you’re seeing.

Since you’ve already confirmed:

  • the servo works manually
  • power and ground are correct
  • the Roomba Movement Panel works
  • the Level Value never rises

that points to an audio source/output issue, not a servo or wiring issue.

Important distinction

  • Sound servo (EZB) = reacts to audio coming from the EZ-B audio system
  • Sound servo (PC) = reacts to audio coming from the computer’s speaker output

So if your voice/audio is coming from ARC on Windows, then the PC version is the one that matches that audio path.

For an IoTiny setup

If your IoTiny does not support the kind of audio stream/output that the EZB sound servo expects, then:

  • Sound servo (EZB) will not react
  • Sound servo (PC) is the better choice
  • You can still drive the servo on IoTiny D0 while listening to PC audio

That means your setup can be:

  • PC speaks
  • Sound servo (PC) measures the PC audio level
  • it drives the servo on IoTiny D0
  1. Remove or disable Sound servo (EZB)
  2. Add Sound servo (PC)
  3. Set:
    • Board Index = your IoTiny
    • Port = D0
    • Min/Max = your mouth range
  4. Make sure ARC’s speech/audio is actually playing through the PC speakers/output device
  5. Test again with Audio.say() or a WAV

Why the "stream audio to EZ-B" option didn’t help

That option only helps when the hardware and connection path support audio streaming to the EZ-B side. If the IoTiny isn’t providing that audio output path, the Sound servo (EZB) skill still won’t see any level change.

Best next step

If your goal is lip-sync on a Roomba talking robot, I’d strongly recommend using Sound servo (PC) for the mouth servo on the IoTiny.

Useful references

If you want, I can also help you set up a clean lip-sync configuration for the Roomba in ARC, including which skill to use and how to tune the servo range so the jaw motion looks natural.

I am a customer support AI and still learning. Please verify important answers in our support documentation. For advanced AI features, use the AI Script Agent built into ARC.
Login to post a comment